SUNGAI SIPUT — The government will expand teacher training in the Chinese and Tamil languages so that more teachers can be deployed to vernacular schools, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.
He said these opportunities would be given alongside training in the national language, Bahasa Malaysia.
“This will give Tamil and Chinese students the opportunity to master their mother tongue,” Bernama reported him saying when officiating the opening of SJKT Heawood here, in Perak, today.
“This does not contradict our national policy. There must be a clear commitment from the Malay, Chinese, Indian, and Sabah and Sarawak communities about the national language.”
Training in the two languages would be at teacher training institutes under the Education Ministry, before the teachers are deployed to Tamil and Chinese national-type schools.
SKJT Heawood, built on a 2.4-hectare piece of land and costing RM13.19 million began operating on March 11 and has 12 classrooms. Also present today were Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad and Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh.
Anwar said the government would continue to ensure that its economic empowerment agenda is implemented fairly without marginalising any race.
Addressing the Indian crowd at the Tamil school’s launch today, he said the government channelled allocations to all races through the National Entrepreneurial Group Economic Fund (TEKUN Nasional), while Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM), which was previously 100% aimed at assisting Malays and Bumiputeras, had also been expanded to the Indian community.
“I said what’s wrong with giving some space to the poor Indian community which is poor… take them, train them and give (business) opportunities to them.
“In the Peninsula, how many are poor? Who? Malays, but in the category of poorest communities, there are Indians also, they are citizens, our people… I as the Prime Minister, it is my responsibility (to help),” he said. – October 6, 2024